Neuschwanstein Castle - Friday, April 5, 2019

Today we travel to the Neuschwanstein Castle.  About the only thing I know about this castle is that Walt Disney used it as a design/model for his Cinderella castle at Disneyland.  To get to the castle it is a 2-hour bus ride.  All three of us got on the bus and promptly fell asleep.  Let's just say by Day 5 of being "out of our element" we were all a bit tired. 

Shortly before you arrive at the castle you travel through some absolutely beautiful farm country.

Buses are not allowed up the road to the castle so they park at the bottom.  You are given a "tour time."  They often remind us that the time is "German time."  If it says 12:25, it means 12:25.  I got the impression that Americans must not honor time commitments very well.  The phrase German time has been used often here.  Before the hike there is this beautiful lake.  I stayed here and took some photos while Dave and Ben went to get coffee.  When they got back, we got a couple of photos together.

I'd like to say that I am in pretty decent shape, and that hike all up hill was taxing.  Dave might not say the same.  He was able to talk all the way up.  I was not.  When I lose the ability to talk, that's when I realize that I am working (out) hard.   A great alternative is to take the horse and cart up and down the hill.  This is a great option if you need it.  (Once you get to the castle, there is also a fair amount of stairs on the tour.)  We walked up the hill as a group.  I did it and I'd do it again, but I don't want to falsely represent how difficult the hike up the hill is. 

If you are not sure you can do the hike up the hill, but you want to see the castle,
take the Horse and Cart.  I think it was about 3.50 euros each way

The light at the end of the tunnel - the CASTLE!

Neuschwanstein Castle: King Ludwig II succeeded to the throne aged 18. After the Franco-Prussian War of 1870 Ludwig increasingly withdrew from day-to-day affairs of state in favour of extravagant artistic and architectural projects. 
He commissioned the construction of two lavish palaces and Neuschwanstein Castle, and he was a devoted patron of the composer Richard Wagner. Ludwig spent all his royal revenues (although not state funds as is commonly thought) on these projects, borrowed extensively, and defied all attempts by his ministers to restrain him. 
This extravagance was used against him to declare him insane, an accusation which has since come under scrutiny. (He was found dead at age 40 just after this declaration of insanity.) The castle remains unfinished. It is stunning! No pictures were allowed inside so I took a picture of the unfinished throne room from a book I bought.

The actual throne was never built as he died before it could be built.
The artwork is absolutely stunning throughout the castle.

By now you probably know I have a sign board.  On the way over to Germany, I found some quotes and I had a plan of what quote on what day at what location.  We probably took 10 photos at the castle with my phone, my camera, and my go pro - trying to get the right angle that would capture the castle in the background.  Once we got on the bus to head to lunch, I looked at all the photos and realized the board was wrong.  I immediately sent the picture to my two best friends, because they know how I LOVE to be perfect and they are teaching me that being imperfect is JUST FINE.  So here are a couple of the imperfect photos.

The actual tour only lasted 35 minutes.  So these are things to consider when/if you go.  As soon as the tour was over, we hiked back down the hill and got on our buses to head to lunch.  When my husband had been on this tour two years ago with our son Joe, they had spent most of the day at the castle.  They hiked to a swinging bridge off in the distance and got a great photo of the castle.  When I asked about that our tour guides said that was not in the plan.  So we had a two hour bus ride, a 30 minute hike up the hill, a 35 minute castle tour, a 30 minute hike down the hill and a 2-hour bus ride.  Yes it was worth it, but I do not know if I would do it again now that I've seen it.  But I'm very glad I did go.

We drove only a few minutes to a restaurant in that beautiful farm country and had schnitzel and noodle.  We were very hungry by then as it was already 2:00 p.m. in the afternoon.  The dessert was Apple Strudel and vanilla ice cream.  We grabbed a few more photos and then got on the bus for the 2 hour ride home where most of us slept again.  

One thing about traveling for me anyway is I like to know when we are going to eat, where the bathrooms are and how do I get water.  At home I drink at least a gallon of water a day.  But I'm not going to drink like that unless I know where the next bathroom is.  Just quirky things that bug me.  So I maybe drank 32 ounces of water a day (plus you had to buy water (still water) and it cost more than soda.  And a lot of times you needed the correct "coin" to use the bathrooms.  But everything was very clean too.  When I visit new places, I like to enjoy the food that is served in that country.  So all of these things added up - eating more breads/pasta, drinking way less water, getting less sleep, and then just the traveling and all the walking, etc.  My feet were greatly blistered and my joints were feeling the pain.  I had Motrin and I was taking it, but my body was screaming at me.

Our schedule had been so busy, we had not been able to exercise (in the spa) a whole lot.  Believe me we got plenty of exercise with walking every day.  I knew that swimming would settle my joints down.  And when my joints were flared up, I could always still swim.  I hadn't felt like this in over a year, so this was unexpected in a way.  But also not so unexpected because I really do know that proper food and hydration is what keeps me feeling good.  Anyway, they have a beautiful pool at the hotel so I went and spent an hour in the water and that felt great.

Looking down in to the pool from the floor above

Of course my sign board.  I had to get one more photo that night and I thought the Perfectly Imperfect shirt was perfect for the day.  I had my "swim hair, don't care" look going on too.  It was a full day.